Shock-former.



J'. E. WEEELEE.

SHOCK FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1912.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. E. WHEELER. SHOCK FORMER. APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 9, 1912.

4Patented 1160.2, 1913.

6 SHEETS-'SHEET 2. v

IN1/FHTW? J. E. WHEELER. SHOCK FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9. 1912 1,080,034. Patented 1390.2, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. l )NVE/#OR ,5.62. ATTOIF/YEYS.

coLUMBIA PLANDUAPM co..wAsHlNToN. D. c.

A J. E. WHEELER.

SHOCK FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 9, 1512.

Patented Deo. 2, 1913.

5 SHEET S-SHEET 4.

CDLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co.. WASHlNa'roN. D. c.

J. P. WHEELER.

SHOCK FORMER.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 9, 1912.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

5 SHEETS- SHEET 5A coLuMmA PLANDGRAPH 1:0.,wAsmNGTDN, D. c.

i To all whom t may concern:

.UNTTED sTATEs PATENT orricn.

JAMES F. WHEELER, 0F SOUTI-IPORT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AUGUSTEN BOICE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SHOCK-FORMER.

Specification o'f Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 2,1913.

Application filed January 9, 1912. A SerialNo. 670,235.

Be.it known that I, JAMES F. VHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southport, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, havev invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock- Formers, of which the following is a specification. This invention is an improvement on the device of my Patent' No. 753,770 issued March 1, 1904 and the object of the present invention is to :provide an attachment for self-binding harvesters which will receive the horizontal sheaves or bundles of grain or other crop, gatherithem butt-end down into shocks of a predetermined number of bundles, tie the shocks so as to prevent the separation of the bundles, and after the shock is tieddeposit it in an upright and permanent position upon the ground.

A, further object is to provide means for gathering sheaves or bundles for a second shock after the first `one is gathered, and

, while it is being tied and discharged, whereby the operations of the devicev may be con-1 tinuous and the progress of the harvester across the field may be uninterrupted.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view with the parts in position after a shock has been discharged and ready to receive the bundles o-f grain from the harvester, the swinging-arm for moving the horizontal bundles into vertical position being shown ready to voperate upon horizont-al` bundles. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the parts in the same position as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the `direction of the arrows. Fig. 4L is a. fragment, in like side elevation, but on `a larger scale than in Fig. 2, showing the parts in their positions assumed during` the tying of a shock, and showing the auxiliary platform extended. Fig. 5 is a fragment in horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, looking down, the illustration-being on a` larger scale thanin Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a fragment on a still larger scale of the front switch mechanism shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross section of the track on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a like section of the track on line8-8 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 9 is a fragment in perspectivel view of the dumping platform.

Like characters of reference indicate like slide-way 14, above which the bundles are delivered from the harvester.

Mounted on a post 15, which may be a part of the frame of my device, is a bracket having a vertical pin on which a hub 16 is mounted. The hub 16 has integral arms which have horizontal adjustment around said vertical pin. The hub 16 has a journal in which a horizontal stub shaft 17 is mounted, and mounted rigidly on the shaft 17 is an arm 18 having a plurality of laterally projected and downwardly curved fin-` gers 19, to bear against the sides of the sheaves or bundles lying `upon the slideway 14. The shaft 17 has an arm 20 to which attachment is made for oscillating the arm and rocking the shaft 17 to thereby swing the arm 18. The slide-way 14 is provided with a housed track 22 slotted longitudinally through its top for the connection of the outer end of the arm 18 through said slot with a friction-Wheel 23 which operates in the hollow track. -In order to carry the arm 18 on its return upward movement to one side of the slide-way 14, and thereby present unobstructed access for the incoming bundles thereto, I providev a side track 241.- with curved connections at its ends withthe corresponding ends of track 22. The wheel 23 on the outer end of arm 18 travels down the hollow track 22 by the lowering of arm 18, but on the upward movement of the arm 18, the wheel 23 is switched into the side track 24 which moves the arm on its return upward travel. to one side of the slide-way and bundle of grain, but when the arm 18 approaches the upper end of the slide-way it is switched back into alinement with the track 22, and is above the bundle of grain then on the slide-way and is in position .to be again lowered to move the bundle into an upright position, butt-end down. vThe bundles are deposited by arm 18 at the foot of the slide-way 14, against the curved holding-fingers 25 until traveling carriers arrive to move them on through the machine to the place of discharge. The fingers 25 are attached to the post 15 0n each side of the slide-way 14, and are elastic to allow the collection of bundles to be moved past them by the spreading apart or opening of said fingers.

The bundles are delivered from the harvester table A (see Fig. 3) upon curved resilient fingers B supported from the table A and extending across the chute above the slide-way 14. The bundles will be support ed by said lingers until they are forced down by the arm 18, the power through which is sufficient to bend the fingers down out of the way.

Located on the opposite side of the track 24 from the slide-way 14 is a post 26 in the upper end of which a shaft 27 is mounted. On the shaft 27 is a sprocket-wheel 28 which is driven by a chain belt from a sprocketwheel 29 mounted on shaft 12. On one end of the shaft 27 is a crank-arm 30 which is connected by the rod 21 with the arm 20, and by the mechanism above described the oscillation of the arm 18 is accomplished. Mounted on the other end of the shaft 27 is an arm 31 which is connected by a link-bar 32 with a carriage 33 (see Fig. 5) having a pair of carriers 34 and 35, at opposite ends of the carriage and proj ecting into the path of travel of the bundles of grain as they progress to the discharge end of the machine. It is essential after the carriers have completed their work of moving the gathered bundles, that they be Withdrawn from the path of travel of the bundles during their return movement into position for moving the succeeding bundles. The carriage as best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 comprises a pair of horizontal members to which the carriers 34 and 35 each in pairs, are attached and are supported by vertical members 39, which, with the horizontal frame members, form a substantially rectangular frame or carriage body, and from each of the four corners of this rectangular frame or body is a bracket 36 terminating with a roller-wheel which enters the channel of correspondingly located upper and lower hollow tracks. These tracks comprise straight members 38 which guide the carriage during those portions of its ltravel when its carriers 34 and 35 cross the path of travel of the bundles and are operating to move the latter; they also comprise return tracks 40 located in the same plane with tracks 38v but laterally thereof and a sufficient distance away to move the carriage to the position shown by dotted linesV in Fig. k5, withdrawing the carriers 34 and 35 out of contact with the bundles. The tracks 40 are curved at their ends, as shown, to

connect them with the track 38 in a manner to cause both ends of the elongated carriage to move laterally at an equal rate. This requires two sets 0f tracks 40, one for each end of the carriage. 42 are pivotally secured at the junctions of the rear ends of the two tracks 40 with the straight track 38 and project into the track 38, at their free ends, to switch the carriage rollers on the return movement of the carriage, into the tracks 40, but in the opposite travel of the carriage the .rollers will press the points aside so as to pass the Switch points points. The switch points 42 are pivoted at j 43 and have arms 44 (see Fig. 6) which are pressed against by springs 45 to hold the switch points in tracks 38 in position to divert the carriage rollers into the tracks 40. Similar switch points may be provided at the junctions of tracks 22 and 24 which control them'ovement of arm Y 18.

The sheaves or bundles'are supported and guided in their travel t0 the dumping platform by horizontal frame-timbers 45. Holding-lingers 46 (see Fig. 1) are secured to the frame of the machine at the ends of the horizontal timbers 45 and aV third set of fingers 47 are placed between the fingers 46 and 25. rlhese fingers regulate the movement of the bundles of grain and assist in keeping the bundles in erect positions while the carriers 34 and 35 are being placed and withdrawn, and the middle set of holdinglingers hold back the succeeding bunches or sheaves while the preceding shock is being tied, and insure the requisite room for the operation of the swinging needle for supplying the twine or wire for tying the shock.

I will now describe my improved mechanism for tying the shocks. Y

Supported b-y the horizontal timbers 45, and their vertical posts, is a metal frame 50, (see Fig. 3) and in advance thereof is a vertical shaft 51 upon which are four equidistant arms 52, each in turn adapted to project into the path of the bundles as the arms are carried around by the rotation of the shaft. This rotation is, in fact, caused by the action of the moving bundles against the arms. sprocket-wheel, and mounted in the frame 50 is the vertical shaft 53 also having a sprocket-wheel, the relative diameters of which will determine the number of bundles gathered into a shock before the needle operates to tie them together. ln the drawings the wheel on the shaft 53 is three times the diameter of the wheel on shaft 51. The two sprocket-wheels are connected by a chain belt 54', and in the present case, when twelve bundles have passed the radial arms 52 the shaft 53 will have made one complete revolution. cranked, as shown at 56, the crank terminating with a vertical end.V Mounted in a jour- Mounted on the shaft 51 is a The upper end of the shaft 53 isV nal supported by the frame 50 above the shaft 53 is a separate vertical shaft 54. Mounted on this shaft 54 is a bevel wheel 55 having a long lower integral sleeve 57 with a half-clutch on its lower end. Mounted on the lower end of shaft 54 is a circular plate 58 having a cam projection 59 on its lower face, and the upper end of the hub of this plate has a half-clutch formation to engage with the half-clutch on the sleeve 57. On the upper face of the plate 58 is a cam projection 60 (see Fig. 4) which is adapted to contact with an arm 61 extending from the frame 50 into the path of the cam 60 when the plate is elevated by a crank 56 and coupled to the rotating sleeve 57. The upper shaft 54 has a limited longitudinal adjustment to permit of the above coupling and uncoupling operation. The sleeve 57 is continuously rotated by the meshing of its bevel wheel 55 with a corresponding wheel 62 mounted on a shaft on which a sprocketwheel 63 also is mounted. The sprocketwheel 63 is driven by a chain belt 64 from a wheel 65, and the wheel 65 is driven by the chain belt 66 from a sprocket-wheel on the shaft 12 (see Fig. 2). The shaft 54 terminates at its upper end with a crank-arm 67.

Mounted on the frame of the machine at the place of discharge to the dumping-platform is a horizontally swinging needle 68 (see Fig. 1), which is adapted to swing across the chute through which the bundles of grain are moved and to carry bindingcord 69 across the inner side of the shock to tie it. In Fig. 1 this needle is shown in. full lines at one side of the chute and in dotted lines across the chute. A lrnotter of any usual. and suitable construction, shown in dotted lines at 70 in Fig. l, ties a knot, cuts the twine, and holds the end of the twine for the next tie in the usual manner, the twine being then carried back with the needle leaving the twine across the chute as shown in Fig. l for the outer wrap around the next shock. The needle 68 has an arm 69 which is connected with the crank-arm 67 on shaft 54 by a link-bar 71. Formed on the link-bar 71 is an outwardly projecting lug 72, (see Fig. l) which, on the return movement of the needle to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 trips a mechanism for turning the slats of the dumpingplatform into a vertical or edge-up position to dump the tied shocks.

The dumping-platform comprises a plurality of thin boards or slats 73, which, in their horizontal positions form a tight platform, but by tilting them edge-up, this operation spreads the butts of the shocks which allows the ends of the grain to drop astride of the slats into contact with the ground where the shock will be held and the slats drawn out of it by the further progress of the machine across the eld.-

`The mechanism for mounting and permitting the slats to tilt is illustrated in Fig. 9 and is fully described as well as illustrated in my said former patent, and need not be described here in detail. As in my said former patent, the bell-cranks 75 which operate the levers 76 connecting the several cranks of the platform slats are connected by rods 77 with bracket extensions from swinging-arms 78 pivoted to each side of the machine, and the ends of the arms opposite the pivots are supported by connection with vertically reciprocating bars 79 having racks 8O to actuate associated mechanism for opening the shock-holding lingers 81. The mechanism for holding, releasing, andV for raising and lowering the bars 79 to open and close the platform-slats and also for opening and closing the fingers 8l, is the same as in my said former patent, except that instead of relying on the manual setting of it in motion by the driver I provide an automatic means which is set in motion by the lug 72 on the bar 71 at the return movement of the needle. In my said Patent 753,770, the bar there designated by the numeral 57 and here designated by the numeral 82, was to be manually operated, but in the present invention this bar is connected with a bell-crank lever 83, which in turn is connected with a similar lever 84, and extending to the rear from the bellcrank lever 84 is a horizontal rod 85 having a longitudinally slotted end to engage with a pin 86 on a lever 87. One end of lever 87 is pivoted to the frame of the machine and the other end terminates in the path of the lug 72 on the needle-operating bar 71. The slot in the end of the rod 85 permits inward movement of the pin 86 to allow the lug 72 to pass the lever 87 without changing the said platform operating mechanism, but, when the reverse movement occurs, during the withdrawal of the needle, the lever 87 is moved in a direction to cause its pin 86 to actuate said shock-dumping and finger-opening apparatus.

`The mechanism for returning the platform-slats to horizontal positions after withdrawal from a shock is the same as described and shown in my said former patent, but I have found it desirable to provide an auxiliary platform to support those bundles which accumulate during the forward travel while the machine is dumping a shock, and while the platform-slats in vertical position are being` drawn out of the shock. This is a horizontal platform 90 adapted to slide in runs 91 in the direction of travel of .the vertical bundles. It is provided with a rack 92 which engages a toothed segment 93, mounted on a horizontal shaft 94. An arm 95 on the outer end of the shaft 94 is connected by a link-bar 96 with the lower end of the adjacent vertically reciprocating bar 79. By this means, when the bar 79 starts downwardly to cause the platform-slats to be opened, the auxiliary platform correspondingly moves out to give support to the newly arriving bundles for the next shock, and as soon as the platform-slats are returned to horizontal position ready to receive the new shocks, the auxiliary platform 90 is returned by a re verse movement of its above described mechanism. Then the auxiliary platform is withdrawn it has a tendency to drag the bundles back with it, and to prevent this, I provide the fingers 93, which are attached to the side timbers 45 and extend into the chute against .the moving bundles from both sides of the chute. The shapes of these fingers are as shown in Fig. 1 to permit the bundles to spread the fingers apart and pass between them, but after the bundles have passed, the ends 99 of the fingers will stand transversely of the chute, and support the bundles in that direction. s

lThe fingers 46 at the discharge end of the chute are primarily to hold the bundles arriving for a new shock immediately after the preceding shock has been tied and while it is being discharged from the machine, the fingers 4G thus acting in conjunction with the auxiliary platform take care of a newly formed shock.

I have described the operation of my apparatus in connection with the foregoing description and will again briefly describe the operation.

The sheaves or bundles coming from the harvester over platform A are deposited upon the fingers B above the slide-way 14 and they are successively lowered butt-ends down to a vertical position on platform 18 against fingers 25 by the swinging-arm 18. The carriage 33 then moves forward on track 40 and is carried by the curved ends of track 40 into alinement with the straight track 33 brin ging the carrier 35 in front of the bundle held b v fingers 25 and a travel of the carriage 33 toward the dumping platform forces the bundles ahead of the carrier 35 through the fingers 25 and past the radial arms 52 into contact with the fingers 47. There the carrier 35 is withdrawn by the lateral movement of carriage 33 into the tracks 40 and the carriage is moved opposite the bundles accumulated afresh at the end of slide-way 14 and the inward movement of the carriage toward and into aline ment with the track 3S brings the carrier 35 into moving position against the bundles held by fingers 25 and brings the carrier 34 into corresponding position against the bundles held by fingers 47, whereby the further travel of the carriage toward the dumpingplatform Awill move the bundles held by both fingers 25 and 47 to new positions, those held by fingers 25 being again arrested by fingers 47 and those previously held by fingers 47 are deposited against fingers 4G on the platform 73. `When a dozen'bundles have passed the radial arms 52 and have been pushed back onto the plat-form 73, spreading the fingers 81 as the shock is formed, the mechanism operating needle 68 will co-me into play causing the needle to swing across the chute carrying the twine around the near side o-f the newly formed shock to meet an end of the twine previously held on the opposite side of the chute in the normal position of the needle whereby the twine is then wrapped entirely around the shock, and by means of the knotting mechanism 70 the twine is tied into a band and the twine severed and the needle is then returned to normal inactive position. Upon the return of the needle the platform-dumping mechanism is set in motion, the slats 73 are turned edge-up in opposite movements of the slats from a medial line, whereby the base of the shock is spread, and the shock being unsupported drops by gravity through slats 73 into contact with the ground; the fingers 81 are opened and by the forward travel of the machine the slats 73 are drawn out of the shock leaving the shock standing in vertical position in the field. The platform dumping mechanism is connected with the auxiliary sliding platform 90 through its rack-bar, segment 93 and connecting mechanism with the vertically reciprocating bars 79, whereby, as the slats 73 begin to turn in order to dump, the platform 90 will slide out over the slats 73 to support those bundles which arrive at fingers 46 while the previously finished shock is being discharged. As soon however as the previous sho-ck is discharged and the slats 73 have been returned to horizontal position the auxiliary plat-form 90 is retracted by a reverse movement of its operative means. The fingers 46 and the fingers 98 hold the newly forming shock in vertical position while the previous shock is being discharged.

Vhile 1 have shown my present invention and described it as an attachment for harvester machines, it is obvio-us that it may be mounted and operated independently of a harvester; and while I .have here shown and described the best mechanism now known to me for actuating the salient parts of my device, I am aware that variations in structure of the parts in detail are readily possible, and l therefore do not desire to limit my invention to the exact mechanism shown, but

lWhat l claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. ln a shock-forming apparatus, resilient fingers for receiving and supporting bundles in a substantially horizontal position, a shock receiving and dumping platform, a

slide-way under the fingers sloping downwardly toward the said platform, means for swinging the bundles from the fingers buttends down to a substantially vertical position, means for gathering `the bundles into shocks on the platform, andmeans for discharging the sho-ck from the platform.

2. In a shock-forming apparatus, resilient finge-rs for receiving and holding the bundles in substantially horizontal position, an arm pivoted at its inner end and occupying a substantially horizontal position above the fingers and having its free end adapted to swing downwardly around said pivot againstthe butt ends of the bundles to force the bundles into vertical position, means for oscillating the arm, means for gathering the bundles into shocks, and means for depositing the shocks upon the ground. y

3. In a shock-forming apparatus, means for holding bundles in a substantially horizontal posit-ion, a concave slide-way under said holding means, a swinging-arm pivoted above said slide-way and holding means, means for oscillating the arm, means for gathering the bundles into shocks, and means for depositing the shocks upon the ground. v

4. In a shock-forming apparatus, resilient fingers for holding' bundles in a substantially horizontal position, a concave slideway under said fingers, a swinging-arm pivoted above the ngers and lower end of the slide-way, the free end of the arm being adapted to swing down adjacentthe slideway to change the bundles from horizontal to vertical position, means for oscillating the arm, means for gathering the bundles into shocks, and means for depositing the shocks butt-ends down upon the ground.

5. In a shock-forming apparatus, means for receiving bundles, means for placing the bundles in vertical position butt-ends down, a shock-forming and dumping platform, means for gathering the bundles into shocks on said platform, means for dumping the shock when formed, an auxiliary longitudinally reciprocating platform and means to move the auxiliary platform into position above the first platform to receive and hold the bundles for a new shock while the previous shock is being dumped.

6. In a shock-forming apparatus, a shockdumping platform, an auxiliary platform adapted to be projected over the first platform, a pair of vertically reciprocating bars, and intermediate connecting-gearing between said reciprocating bars and both platforms whereby a dumping operation of the shock-dumping platform will project the second platform over said first mentioned platform.

7. In a shock-former, the combination, with a shock-dumping platform, of an auxiliary platform adapted to be projected over the first platform while the latter is in the operation of dumping, and intermediate connecting-gearing means between the two platforms to project the second platform while the first platform is dumping.

8. In a shock-forming apparatus, means for receiving bundles and for placing them butt-ends down in vertical position, means for gathering the bundles into a shock, means for counting the bundles, means when a predetermined number of bundles have been counted for tying them together into a shock, a dumping platform to receive and dump the shocks, an auxiliary platform and means to move it into position to receive the bundles arriving for the next shock while the finished shock is being dumped.

9. In a shock-forming apparatus, means for receiving bundles, a chute, means for placing the bundles butt-ends down in vertical positio-n in the chute, a carriage moving inthe `chute toward the discharge end of the chute and outside of the chute at its return movement, a track having main and switch portions to control said movement of the carriage, said carriage having means to engage the bundles and move them toward the discharge end of the chute, means for gathering the bundles into shocks, means for counting the bundles, and means when a predetermined number have been gathered in a shock for tying the shock.

l0. In a shock-forming apparatus, resilient fingers for receiving and temporarily supporting bundles in substantially horizontal positions, an oscillating arm pivoted at its inner end above the fingers, a concave slide-way under the fingers concentric with the oscillating axis of said arm, a guidewheel mounted on the outer end of the arm, a track down the middle of the slide-way to hold the guide-wheel and a track located at one side of said first track and connect-ing therewith at its ends for the return travel of said guide-wheel whereby the arm will be deflected to one side of the slide-way on its return upward movement.

11. In a shock-forming apparatus, a chute, means for depositing bundles in a vertical position butt-ends down at the mouth of the chute, means for moving the bundles to the discharge end of the chute, means for maintaining the bundles in a vertical position in their travel through the chute, a dumping platform at the end of the chute, means for gathering a predetermined number of bundles on said platform to form a shock, means for tying the shock, means for spreading its base and dumping the shock, an auxiliary movable platform, means to move it out to support the bundles for the next shock while the previous shock is being dumped, means for restoring the dumping platform to holding position, means for withdrawing the auxiliary platform, and

means for holding the bundles for the new shock in a vertical position.

12. In a shook-forming device, a chute having a horizontal bottom, means for depositing bundles butt-ends down at the mouth of the chute, a carriage having bundle carriers projecting into the chute only during that part of its travel which is toward the discharge end of the chute, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the chute, radial arms projecting into the chute to be .moved by successively passing bundles, a needle adapted to move across the chute, a knotter, means connecting the radial arms and needle to cause it 4to act in conjunction With the knotter to tie a shock when a predetermined number. of bundles have passed the arms, and means to dump the shock.

13. In a shock-forming device, means for placing bundles butt-ends down in vertical position, means for gathering a predetermined number of bundles into a shock, a dumping platform to receive the shock, fingers to hold the bundles in vertical position on the platform, an auxiliary platform to be extended over the dumping platform to support bundles for a new shock While the preceding shock is being dumped, means for tying the shock before it is dumped, and means set in motion by said tying means at the completion of the tie for opening the platform and fingers to dump the shock and for projecting the auxiliary platform into position to receive bundles for the next shock.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana,

this 15th day of December, A. D. one thou- 40 F. W. VVOERNER, TJ. B. WOERNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of :Pa-tents.

Washington, D. C. 

